Goldens love to dig! As anyone with an adolescent Golden can attest, these digging escapades can seem archaeological. They are not exactly conducive to nice landscaping. The best solution is to provide your Golden with an appropriate place to dig and teach him to dig there. A digging pit is easy to construct and can keep your Golden busy for hours. Designate a spot in your yard, use garden timbers to square off a section, and fill the area with play sand. Then bury all sorts of cool stuff for your Golden to find — like toys, bones, cookies, or tennis balls — and show him that this is his place to dig.

In order to teach your Golden where to dig, you must be present and supervising. You can't expect him to figure out on his own that the digging pit is where you want him to dig. Take your Golden out to the digging pit, and let him watch you bury some really delicious treats — maybe even a stuffed Kong wrapped in tissue paper. Encourage him to find the prizes. Let him tear off the paper on the Kong — most dogs think this is awesome — and praise him for using his pit. If your dog starts to dig somewhere else in the yard, tell him “No!” Take him on leash over to his digging pit, and help him uncover something exciting.